'Back to the Future' bundle has a lot to say about the not-too-distant past

‘Back to the Future’ bundle has a lot to say about the not-too-distant past

By Noel Murray

Oct. 17, 2015 10 AM PT

Back to the Future: The Complete Adventures

Universal, $88.88; Blu-ray, $99.88

Given that 2015 is “the future” in Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale’s blockbuster sequel “Back to the Future Part II,” there’s been a lot of talk this year about what the film got right and wrong about the world of today. But it’s really more interesting now to see how all three parts of the trilogy comment on the instant-gratification culture of the 1980s. As Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) and mad scientist Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) embark on a winding mission that drops them into 1855, 1955 and 2015, they keep tweaking the past to build a more satisfying present. That means that in addition to being hugely entertaining, the movies in the “Back to the Future: The Complete Adventures” DVD and Blu-ray collection have a lot to say about what Americans idealized in 1985. The set offers still more to ponder via its extras, which include the full run of the animated series and a bonus disc with two hours of retrospective documentaries.

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Z for Zachariah

Lionsgate, $19.98; Blu-ray, $24.99

Based on Robert C. O’Brien’s popular juvenile sci-fi novel, “Z for Zachariah” stars Margot Robbie as a farmer’s daughter who loses her entire family in a nuclear apocalypse, then tries to restart civilization in her sheltered valley with the help of two male scavengers (played by Chiwetel Ejiofor and Chris Pine). The love triangle — a change from the book, added by screenwriter Nissar Modi and director Craig Zobel — adds an unnecessary layer of melodrama to what’s already a strong story of survival and trust. But the movie is still appealingly philosophical in the way the best speculative fiction can be, breaking down what really matters to people who are just trying to get through another day. The DVD and Blu-ray add deleted scenes and featurettes.

The Wolfpack

Magnolia, $26.98; Blu-ray, $29.98

Alternately tense and moving, Crystal Moselle’s documentary “The Wolfpack” tells the story of the Angulos, brothers in their teens and 20s who’ve lived nearly their entire lives under the thumb of a domineering father in a dingy New York apartment. To escape boredom, the boys have spent their time using a video camera and handmade props to re-create favorite movies like “Reservoir Dogs” and “The Dark Knight Rises.” Moselle raises more questions than she answers about the Angulo family, and she ends the film too soon, just as her subjects’ lives are taking a turn. But “The Wolfpack” is still fascinating as a portrait of cinemania and as a metaphor for how all parents struggle with how much they should allow their children to engage with the world.

Güeros

Kino Lorber, $29.95; Blu-ray, $34.95

Like Alfonso Cuarón’s “Y Tu Mamá También,” Alonso Ruizpalacios’ debut feature, “Güeros,” follows idle teenagers on an odyssey through some of the richest and poorest parts of Mexico. “Güeros” sticks with Mexico City, circa 1999, when the city was disrupted by a student strike over a university tuition increase. Ruizpalacios varies his style from scene to scene as these young folks roll from crime-ridden neighborhoods to ritzy parties to — in one long travel-shot — a heavily factionalized dormitory hallway. This is a lively movie about how budding radicals often seem more concerned over adopting the right identity and being seen as “authentic” than they do about changing an inequitable society.

And…

I Spit on Your Grave 3: Vengeance Is Mine

Starz/Anchor Bay, $22.98; Blu-ray, $26.99

Jurassic World

Universal, $29.98; Blu-ray, $34.98/$49.98

Available on VOD Oct. 20.

The Larry Fessenden Collection

Shout! Factory Blu-ray, $79.97

Paper Towns

20th Century Fox, $29.98; Blu-ray, $39.98

Available on VOD Oct. 20.

Testament of Youth